BSGE has once again ranked high on US News and World Report’s list of the nation’s best high schools, and this year the school has been named the 21st best high school in the country. BSGE is also the top school in New York State according to the report. On May 8, teachers and students alike walked into school and immediately began conversations about the news. People walking into school that morning were even more excited to see a NY1 reporter outside and interviewing members of the BSGE community. Everyone at BSGE was proud to learn that their school had accomplished this.
The US News and World Report ranks schools on a number of factors, including test performance and how well the school prepares students for college. There are a number of steps that the report goes through to judge the high schools. The first two steps measure how well the students perform on tests, and if minority students, who statistically perform more poorly, are faring better in those schools. According to US News and World Report’s description of their methodology, “For those schools that made it past the first two steps, a third step assessed the degree to which schools prepare students for college-level work.” BSGE did well on this factor because the IB Diploma Program prepared students very well for the work they would face once they graduated.
The news that BSGE was the top school in the state spread very quickly, and a number of different New York City news media companies were very interested. Ms. Johnson was busy being interviewed as soon as the news was released. She was extremely proud of the students and staff, but admitted that the work was never done. She said, “The ranking rejuvenates people’s efforts by reminding them why we all work hard, but we can’t celebrate for too long.” BSGE is unique because every student has the opportunity to receive the IB diploma this is what contributes to the school winning one of the top spots in the nation. Ms. Johnson explained, “Having the full IB diploma program means every student meets the requirements of those things that are categorized as college readiness.” This school has all the qualities that make a top school, according to US News and World Report.
Students were also pleased to hear the news, and a strong sense of school pride was noticeable following the release of the listing. Moises Garcia ‘14 said, “I’m excited to be a part of a very efficient, hard-working system of students.” Students were happy that they were able to call their school the best in the state, and found that it motivated them. Gaby Carver ‘15 said, “It seems very prestigious and I’m very proud. I’m going to continue to work hard.” Students are determined to keep their spot on the list, even if it just is for the chance to say that they attend one of the best schools in the country.